Title: Liaison Fandom: Torchwood Characters: Captain Jack Harkness/DCI Kathy Swanson (GEN) Rating : G Wordcount 300 Notes: Written for consci_fan_mo. Dedicated to drunken_hedghog for whom I promised to get the word skulk into a fic. My Jack/Kathy dynamic was inspired by Phoenix written by k_haldane. Thanks to hllangel for beta. Summary: The new team at work. DCI Kathy Swanson looked as tired as Jack felt, although not nearly as chagrined. "Found these two skulking around near a girl's school. Lucky they didn't get taken for pedos. That one looks especially disreputable." He wasn't sure if Kathy was referring to Ianto's suit or Mickey's leather jacket. They'd both be in for a long lecture and a refresher course on proper surveillance technique as soon as he got them safely back to the Hub and out of police custody. Kathy waved him over for a private talk, presumably to once again read him the riot act for Torchwood's high handed ways, not a conversation he wanted to have right now. He'd been used to letting his grin serve as social lubricant between Torchwood and the rest of the world; lately the smiles came a bit harder, and the dangers were closing in faster than ever. "Look, I'm sorry about this…" he began, but she cut him off. "I hear you lost a few of your people recently.” He nodded, pushing down the pain and guilt that came up every time he thought of Owen and Tosh. They'd looked to him for salvation and he'd let them down. "I'm sorry," she said, in a voice that spoke of experience and her own regrets. "Never easy, is it?" "No, never." "I have no idea what you’re up to, but I guess it's important." "So important, I can't even tell you about it. I wish I could." “It’s always that way with you lot, isn’t it?” Their eyes met in a moment of mutual respect and understanding, making Jack glad he'd never pushed their initial animosity toward a flirtation or what inevitably came afterwards. Lovers were never in short supply for Jack Harkness. Kathy, he'd decided, might make an excellent friend.